Engine-starter.



L. EUENEAM. v ENGINE STARTER. APPLIOATIGN FILED MAB.15. 1909* Patented ot.12,1909.

vizir/14'); 1

v amb? Zz'noQZr Bzma'm .'I 55 the member 7 is connectedfpivotally one end of UNITED STATES OFFICE.v

LINCOLN BRNHAM'QF UMANA, oHIo. rnvelrns.:sun'rnsn.l

and useful Improvements ,Fngine-:`atart-l by an initial iman engine; to `soconstruct my im proved starting mechanism es tto. obvinte the' necessity of employingnd'ditional shafts hav! mggear connections und mother-wise reduce :ineffective-en ine starting device, vv ich by the running o the engine, will ,automatically collector. store the energy necessarv to impart theinitiu'l startingmoveinent to. the engine .after the same has been stopped. These objects -I 'nccompanying drawing, in `which Figure 1 is a plan-view oi n portion of un engine -niainor crank shaft, 's owing my improved startingmechnnism connected therewith. Fig. le is a transverse. section on line -n, 'of Fig. 1, Fig. 2 is n transverse section through the crank shaft showing my improved mechanism in side lfig. 13 is a sectionaljview on line ,cf-n of Fig. 1. und. Fig. 4 is n vertical-section through the upper portionl of the spring case.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the severa] views. e

1 represents the main or crank shaft of a gasoilene engine and '.2 .a framenlember in which said shaft is mounted, it being underpn rts of a-neutcimcbile frame forv porting frame'.

the shaft 1 era-bly near one endther'eof. I mount an eccentric wheel 4 about-which passes lthe usual eccentric strap 5, zontally the eccentri'cirod 6. The `outer 'end of this rod is pivotlly connected with .one of the lcrank ternnntions of a ro king member 7 which hasa central bearing in'a projection 8 from a convenient frame remaining crank termination of .said

' Specicetion ot Letters Ptent.' ApplicationV mediteren 15, 1909'. serial No. 483,590; .e

e lmproyementv class which .are

Patented oct.'12r,l19oo.

u on and lies 1nl tion oiga ratchetwheelsll, the mounted upon the shaft 1 `zuudhavingc cen,- trwl 1mb extension .also loose on said. shaft, which (l1-ub extension is `l`indicated at 11a. Uponthe sleeve hub extension 11 of the -parutively-.iar e opposing o n simple coingpactlyy be 4rtu'uiily imparted to the cranky Co 13, the inner endv of seid" nected with the sleeve 112" lthereof being. connected with a transverse pin or short rod 14 whichA extends trans` spring being conwith the 'crankshaft wmplish in the mannerillhstratedin 4the uc elevation thereon.

Versely, through the cesing adjacent to the marginal portion thereof, the end portions of said pini projecting through oppositely 'located' .the side plates'12 end `of the pin 14 is a catchbar 16,111

of the casing "12. Euch pivotally connected with piyoted tothe adjacent side plate. 12n at An 4 point on the innerside of the lower end or I tion ofthe slot 15, While 'the outer terminution of said catch bur which is on the cuter and the outer end and inwardly inclined slots 15 in.

1e inner end of, which is 4apn-wl rm 10,' the free end of ywhich bears toengagethe teeth t letter being loosel y ratchet Wheelll, is loosely mounted a -coni-v casing 12 which comprises and a circular d Within" the casing 12 is `a spring v side of the casing rim, is ,provided wit'hnnfunderside notch 16.8. At points above. und

at a 'desirable distance from the members 16,

l Secure radially to the faces 12El of the ons ing outwardly projecting rigid catch.

'members v17. which as prescribed for the members 16 have vtheir projecting portions formed with underside notches 17a.

18` represents .3 represents the usual'lly ,wheelcarried by4 .point on said shaft, prefnotches 16l member 9. .With

anv operating rod' or lever' which is ysldably"mounted in'the d irectioi-I of the .length of'the shaft I, this slid-able support'beingppreferubly eli'ect'edby provid- I ing a." horizon-tal vkeeper '19 in connection with :reusing 19 which casingis of cup form andwhich-has its open. end portion` provided with attaching flanges 191 which :l1-edesigned to be secured the frame member 2, thecasing thus being made' to embrace or inclosem Ivimproved starting mechanism. Wit-h the operating` providetwo separate( angular )rejections 20 which f extend through slotte opemngs e casing wend which have'their rod or lever 18, I s

inner correspondingly y nt ends adapted' to beprojected intopda-ons-.to engave the of the-members 16, a

172- of the members` 17. iWith-onefof the -or the-notches casing p1ates12,'I form. a* central, laterally pro] cctmg ratchet.' wheel 'e 21,` this ratchet of the ratchet wheel 11. On the outer face.

1 of the' spring casing 12 at a point below4 the vpawl arm 10, I provide an outwardly projecting pin 25.

The operation of my invention is substantially as follows: Assuming that the awl arm 10 is in engagement with the teeth of the wheel 11 and that the pin 14 is in the lower ends of the slots 15 of the casing, the catch bar 16 being in engagement with the pin 20, it will be understood that the .rotation of the crank shaft 1 during the running operation of the engine, will lresult in a reciprocating movement of the eccentric rod 6 and a corresponding backward and forward'moveinent of tliepawl arm 10, whereby the ratchet wheel 11 `will have a succession of rotary movements imparted thereto, said ratchet wheel being prevented from reversed rotation by engagement of the pawl 24 therewith. In this rotary movement .of the ratchet wheel 11 and its sleeve-like hub 11, it is obvious that thespring 13 which is connected with said sleeve'liub, will be tightened about said hub and in this tightening or coiling action of the spring, it is evident that the position of the pin 14 will shift toward the upper and inner ends of the slots 15 owing tothe downward` pull on the casing 12 of the outer end of the spring. By thus changing the posi tion of the pin 14 with relation to the slots 15,'it is obvious that Athe outer ends of the catch bars 16 .will finally be disengaged from the laterally projecting upper terminations of the angular rod members 20 and that said casing will be turned in the directionofthe arrow in Fig. 2 of the drawing until the notched outer ends of the bars 17 engage said pin terminations 20, by which time the. spring 13 will have been placed undei' desirable tension.

In the rotary movement of the casing 12,

ingtlie spring is completed, the pin 25 will come into contact with the underside of the pawlai'in 10 operating to raise the latter out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet. wheel'll, thereby preventing a further windthe teeth of the ratchet 21.

ing action. During the rapid rotation or the shaft 1 and'tlie cup-like casing 22 which -is connected therewith, it is obvious that the` centrifugal force created, will operateI to swing the heavier inner ends of the awls 23 outwaid toward the fiange or rim o the casing 22, thereby preventing engagement with On the stopping of the engine, however, it is obvious that the pawls 23 willdrop into engagement with said ratchet teeth, thereby operating to connect the shaft with the casinar 12.l Assuming that the engine is stopped and that the 'spring has been placed under tension, in the manner described, it will be readily understood that by pulling outward the rod 18 until the pin terminations of its arms 20 are out of engagement bars 17, the spring will be free to move the with the notches of the spring casing and its ratchet extension 21 which is now in engagement with the pawls r23, thereby imparting'the desired preliniinary or initial rotation to the shaft 1, which will insure the starting of the engine.

IVhat I claim, is:

1. In a gas engine starting mechanism,

the combination with a crank shaft, a sleeve' on the crank shaft, and means for imparting successive intermittent movements to said sleeve, of a'casing loose on said crank shaft, a spring in said casing having one end connected therewith and the remaining end connected with said sleeve, means by which the latter is connected with the shaft during the initial operation of said shaft and by which the connection of the shaft and spring casing is broken during the winding operation of the spring, and means for automatically discontinuing said winding operation.

2. In` a gas engine starting mechanism, the combination with an engine crank shaft, a sleeve loose on said shaft, a casing loose on said sleeve, and a spring within said casing [having one end connected therewith and the other end connected with said sleeve, a ratchet wheel carried by the spring casing and loose on the shaft, a pawl carrying inember carried by the shaft, pivoted pawls connected to said member and adapted to engage the teeth of said ratchet wheel projection of the casing or to swing out of engagement with said teeth, means for imparting successive intermittent movements to said sleeve to wind said spring, and means for limiting the winding action of said spring.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. LINCOLN BURNHAM.

lVitnesses:

. FLORENCE SEnsEirr,

MARCELLA M. MAXWELL. 

